Miniature arc lamp



Feb. 7,* 1928.

L. F. WESTPHALEN MINIATURE ARC LAMP Filed Au. 1, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ivenar- .Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,269

. L. F. WESTPHALEN MINIATURE ARC LAMP Filed Auz. 1927 2 Shuts-She" 2 1amu 1 I Z0 \3 Leohdn/ l /s fnfd/eq W,U j

Patented Pet. 7, 1928. U ITE STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE.

LEONARD r. wns'rrnnnnn; or cnrcneo, rnninois.

- MINIATURE ARC LAME- Application filed, August}, 1927. serial in209,702.

My invention relates ,to photographers are lamps of the general class inwhich, a suitably positioned reflector concentrates the light from thearc in one general direction.

7 more, my invention aims to provide; a compact lamp of this class inwhich the needed resistance forms an integral part of the appliance; inwhich the casing or mounting of the resistancev supports the carbons,the wire terminals and the reflector; in whichthe reflector is composedof sections adapted to be folded against the resistance casing, and inwhich the reflector sections interlock in their unfolded disposition soas to hold 'oneanother in definite positions. It also aims to.

provide a supporting stem which can be folded against the resistance"casing. and which will shield the wire terminals from injury when inits folded position.

- Still further and also. more detailed objects will appear from thefollowing speci- ,fication and from the accompanying drawings, in whichdrawings a Fig. 1 isa side elevation of a photographers arc lampembodying my invention, with portions of onereflector section and of theresistance casing broken away,. and with dotted lines showing the foldedposition of the-supporting stem or handle.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same lamp, with a portion of the'resistancecasingbroken away.

Fig. 3 is a Fig. 4 is same side as parts folded. i

Fig. 5 is a top view of the folded lamp.

Fig. '6 is an enlarged perspective view of portions of two sections ofthe reflector, showing the arrangementior interlocking these sections.

Fig. 7 is a reduced perspective view of the main member of theresistance casing.

In the illustrated embodimenhmy lamp includes a relatively flat andrectangular resistance casing which'hasitsback 1, sides '2, top 3 andbottom ,4; formed of a single piece of metal provided with a largenumberof perforations.

frontview of the lamp. 7 an elevation, taken from the Fig. 1, but withthe movable This main casing member also has adjacent to itsforwardedgea pair of downwardly projecting ears 5 between V which the upper endof a supporting stem or handle 6 is pivoted. A channel-sectioned frontpiece 7 secured to this main casing member closes'the vfrontal openingin that,

which the tubular terminals 9 for the carbons 10 and 10 are carried.

Supported within the casing is an .insulat ing plate 11 on which theneeded resistance wire 12 is wound,fand this plate also supports twowire terminals 13 and 14 projecting through apertures inthe bottom 4 ofthe casing,.so, that this casing affords a mountmember, and supports aninsulator 8 by i ingtor both the resistance and the wire terconnected tothe terminal 13 andthe other end is electrically connected to the carbonIninals. One end of the resistance wire is L i bon 10 ;with,thecompanion terminal 14.

These terminals are preferably of such a size and shape, as to fit astandard attaching plug, and when the supporting stem or handle 6 is inits operativeposition ofFig. 1,

so i

the terminalsare freely exposedtopermit such a connection to the plug;However, the i handle swings alongsi e these terminals when in ts foldedposition of Fig. 4; and

this. handle desirably is of a diameter greater than the distance to,whichjthe' ter minals project below the casing, so that the handle thenactsas a uard for preventing mechanical injury to e terminals. Toenhance this protecting effect, I desirably provide the handlewith alateral recess lfi into L which the terminals extend when thehandleswung against the bottom of the casing. To concentrate the light fromthe are, I provide a reflectorwhich is supported by the resistancecasing andwhich is constructed, so that it can be folded against theeasin This reflectoras here shown comprises si e wings l7 andlS hingedrespectively[to tom wing 20 .hingedto the lower -edge of the side wing18. The bottom wing 20 desirably has at its forward edge a riser flange21 to catch any detachedparticlesv of-car b011, and. means are providedfor interlocking certain of the reflector wings into a rigid structure.For this latter purpose, each side wing of the "reflectorisconstructedso that it interlocks with the wing that a 100 the sides ortheresistanc'e casing at their i a forward edges, a top wing 19 hingedto the .upperedge of the side wing 17 an'd'abotis hinged to the otherside wing, and a suitable interlocking. arrangement is shown in F1". 6.This lIlllGllOCliln DFOVlSlOll 1nclud' ing a flange 22 which dependsfrom the free lateral edge of the top wing 19 and which has an inwardlydirected linger 23,

formed from this flange. The adjacent side wing 18 has at its upper edgea slit through which the finger extends, as shown in dotted lines in thelower portion of'Fig. 6. A similar interlocking is supplied at thediagonally opposite forward corner of the reflector by providing thelower edge of the side wing 17 with an inwardly directed flange 25 fromwhich a finger 26 projects upwardly, and by providing the adjacent edgeof the bottom plate 20 with a slit 27 through which the finger 26 willproject.

"When the reflector wings are thus interlocked, the flange 22 prevents alateral spreading of the side wings and the flange prevents the bottomwing from drop ping, while a snug fitting of the lingers in the slitsentered by them affords an added frictional gripping. Consequently, there-;

fle'ctor then forms rigid frustro-pyramidal structure for. concentratingthe light to a definite extent. With the inner faces of the reflectorwings and the forward face of the'channeLsectioned casing front 7 madeof bright metal, I can thus provide an eflicient reflector.

However, the interlocking reflector wing portions can readily bedisengaged so as to have the side wings swing back against oppositesides of the resistance casing, while the top and bottom wings swingrespectively against the outer faces of the side side wings for a moreeffective catching of any sparks from the carbon, and I may form themain rheostat casing portion of a single piece of metal as shown in Fig.7. So also, I may stiffen this casing by providing the front 7 withrearwardly extending wings 28 and 29 respectively secured to the top andthe bottom of .the main portion of the casing.

However, I do not wish to be limited to these or other details of theconstruction and arrangement thus disclosed, since many changes mayobviously be made without departing either from the spirit of myinvention or from the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an arc lamp, a resistance, a relatively flat casing housing thesame, a pair of carbons supported to project from one end of the casing,and a frustro-pyramidal reflector surrounding and projecting beyond thecarbons the reflector comprising wings carried by the casing and adaptedto be swung to positions flatwise adjacent to the casing.

2. An arc lamp as per claim 1, in combination with a supporting stem orhandle hinged to the casing and adapted to be swung against the casing.

3. in an arc lamp, a resistance, a mounting for the same, a pair ofcarbons mounted on one end of the said mounting, and a frustro-pyramidalreflector surrounding and projecting beyond the carbons; the reflectorcomprising two sides respectively hinged to the said mounting, and twoauxiliarysides each hinged to one of the first named sides andreleasably interlocked with the other of the first named sides.

4. In an arc lamp, a resistance, a mounting for the same, a pair ofcarbons mounted on one end of the said mounting, and a frustro-pyramidalreflector surrounding. and projectingbeyond the carbons; the reflectorcomprising two foldable pairs of sides respectively hinged to the saidmounting at opposite sides of the said end andrespcctivelyadapted tofold flatwise against the side of the rheostat.

5. A lamp as per claim 3, in which the first named sides are adapted tofold respectively against opposite sides of the said mounting.

6. In a miniature arc lamp, 2. box-like member, a pair of carbonsmounted on one end of the said member, two main reflector members hingedrespectively to opposite edges of the said end, and two auxiliaryreflector members each hinged at one edge to one of the main reflectormembers and each arranged for interlocking with the other of the mainreflector members.

7. In a miniature arc lamp, a resistance, a relatively flat casinghousing the resistance, means on one edge of the casing for supportingtwo carbons, two main reflector members hinged to the casing at oppositesides of the carbon-supporting means and each adapted to bear flatwiseagainst a side of the casing, and two auxiliary reflector members eachhinged to one of the main reflector members and adapted to be swungagainst the latter, the four reflector members being adapted to bedisposed in laterally adjoineddisposition to form a funnelshapedreflector projecting from the casing edge on which the carbons aresupported.

7 8. An arc lamp as per claim 7, in combination with a supporting handlehinged to another edge of the casing and adapted to be swung againstanother edge of the casing.

9. A miniature arc lamp comprising a-resistance, a casing housing thesame, a pair of carbons projecting from one end of the casing, and areflector housing and projecting beyond the tipsof the carbons, thereflector being coinpose dof relatively interlocking sections eachconsisting of two hingedly connected wings and each having I onewinghinged to the casing, eachsection being adapted to be folded againstone. side V of the casing.

10. A miniature are lamp asperclaim 9, in which each reflector sectionhas one wing provided with a notch entered by a wing of the otherreflector section to afliord the said relative interlocking. v

11. A miniature arc lamp comprising an upright casing, two carbonsupports projecting from a vertical end or" the casing,

a pair of terminals projecting fromv the bottom of the casing, aresistance in the casing interposed between i one terminal and one ofthe carbon supports; an elec-/ trical connection between the otherterminal and the other carbon, support, and a handle hinged to thecasing and adapted to be swung against the bottom of the casing ishinged.

' Sgned at Chicago, Illinois, July 28th, 192

LEONARD F. WESTPHALEN.

